Volleyball: Eight teams alive after opening round
Atholton, Reservoir win five-game marathons; Gators' Poston records 1,000th kill
By Andrew Conrad
aconrad@patuxent.com
Posted 11/08/09
(Please see video below)
You'd be hard pressed to find two more evenly matched teams in Maryland volleyball than Mt. Hebron and Reservoir.
The first time Mt. Hebron (9-6) and Reservoir (11-4) played this season, the Vikings won, at home, in five games (25-23, 20-25, 21-25, 25-23, 15-9). That's106 points for the Vikings, 105 for the Gators.
The second time the teams matched up, in the opening round of the 3A East regional tournament Thursday night, Reservoir won, at home, in five games (25-21, 17-25, 22-25, 32-30, 15-11). That's 111 for Reservoir, 112 for the Vikings.
"We didn't do enough to win, simple as that. They played really well, we played really well," Mt. Hebron coach Michael Moynihan said. "Last time we got them in five, this time they got us in five. That's volleyball. Two great teams play each other, that's going to happen."
After winning the first game, Reservoir lost the next two to put its back against the wall.
"I looked at them and I said to my assistant coach (Steve Swann), 'Well, it's been a nice season,' because you looked at them and ... they just looked defeated. They came out in that second game after the first game just thinking the match was already over," Reservoir coach Carole Ferrante said.
But then both teams dug in for a classic battle in Game 4. Reservoir got to 25 first, with a 25-24 lead, but the game was tied 19 times before that, and neither team had a lead of more than three points. Reservoir had game point twice, at 26-25 and 27-26, before Mt. Hebron wrestled back control for leads of 28-27, 29-28 and 30-29. But that's when Liz Lee recorded two kills around a Mt. Hebron hitting error to force a Game 5.
"It was amazing. We were determined to win, we weren't going to lose," said Lee, who had eight kills in Game 4. "Every single ball was like the last and we weren't going to give it up."
Senior Julie Poston also had a match-saving kill in Game 4 to tie the game at 28-28. It was a special kill for Poston for another reason -- it was the 1,000th of her career.
"I knew that if I didn't get it my team would help me ... and I am so glad to be on these different teams that I was on and I love them all," said Poston, who added two more kills in Game 5, including the match winner. She had 23 on the night.
Poston played as a junior on Reservoir's 2008 regional semifinalist, a sophomore on the 2007 undefeated county and state championship team and as a freshman on the 2006 county champion and state finalist.
She said that Thursday night's match reminded her of playing at the University of Maryland in late November, and she'd like to get back there one more time. But first the Gators will have to get past second-seeded River Hill (13-1) in Monday night's quarterfinal. The Hawks swept the Gators in a regular season match in mid-October.
"If we push hard enough like we did today, I think we can win," Poston said.
Mt. Hebron's season is over, but the Vikings (9-6) have plenty to look forward in 2010. They lose only three to graduation -- setter Megan Frey and hitters Kerrie Uthoff and Tito Aderemi-Ibitola -- and return nine juniors, including Katie Huston, who had four kills and a point block in Game 4.
"It was probably the best game we've had all season. We played as hard as we could ... but I'm just mad it's over. Our seniors are going to be gone," Huston said. "(But) we have so many juniors on our team, so next year hopefully we'll be as strong as this year or stronger."
On the other side of the 3A East bracket, Atholton outlasted Howard in five games. Howard (8-7) swept Atholton twice during the regular season.
"My girls showed up (this time)," Atholton coach Dave Decker.
The Raiders were led by Jamie Frank and Samantha James. Allison Seeley and Lindsey Kostkowski paced the Lions.
Atholton (5-10) earned the right to travel to top-seeded and undefeated Centennial (15-0), the 14-time state champ, on Monday.
"I'm going to bring my sling and my rock," Decker joked.
Along with Centennial and River Hill, sixth-seeded Wilde Lake (4-10) was also given a first-round bye, and will visit third-seeded J.M. Bennett on Monday.
You'd be hard pressed to find two more evenly matched teams in Maryland volleyball than Mt. Hebron and Reservoir.
The first time Mt. Hebron (9-6) and Reservoir (11-4) played this season, the Vikings won, at home, in five games (25-23, 20-25, 21-25, 25-23, 15-9). That's106 points for the Vikings, 105 for the Gators.
The second time the teams matched up, in the opening round of the 3A East regional tournament Thursday night, Reservoir won, at home, in five games (25-21, 17-25, 22-25, 32-30, 15-11). That's 111 for Reservoir, 112 for the Vikings.
"We didn't do enough to win, simple as that. They played really well, we played really well," Mt. Hebron coach Michael Moynihan said. "Last time we got them in five, this time they got us in five. That's volleyball. Two great teams play each other, that's going to happen."
After winning the first game, Reservoir lost the next two to put its back against the wall.
"I looked at them and I said to my assistant coach (Steve Swann), 'Well, it's been a nice season,' because you looked at them and ... they just looked defeated. They came out in that second game after the first game just thinking the match was already over," Reservoir coach Carole Ferrante said.
But then both teams dug in for a classic battle in Game 4. Reservoir got to 25 first, with a 25-24 lead, but the game was tied 19 times before that, and neither team had a lead of more than three points. Reservoir had game point twice, at 26-25 and 27-26, before Mt. Hebron wrestled back control for leads of 28-27, 29-28 and 30-29. But that's when Liz Lee recorded two kills around a Mt. Hebron hitting error to force a Game 5.
"It was amazing. We were determined to win, we weren't going to lose," said Lee, who had eight kills in Game 4. "Every single ball was like the last and we weren't going to give it up."
Senior Julie Poston also had a match-saving kill in Game 4 to tie the game at 28-28. It was a special kill for Poston for another reason -- it was the 1,000th of her career.
"I knew that if I didn't get it my team would help me ... and I am so glad to be on these different teams that I was on and I love them all," said Poston, who added two more kills in Game 5, including the match winner. She had 23 on the night.
Poston played as a junior on Reservoir's 2008 regional semifinalist, a sophomore on the 2007 undefeated county and state championship team and as a freshman on the 2006 county champion and state finalist.
She said that Thursday night's match reminded her of playing at the University of Maryland in late November, and she'd like to get back there one more time. But first the Gators will have to get past second-seeded River Hill (13-1) in Monday night's quarterfinal. The Hawks swept the Gators in a regular season match in mid-October.
"If we push hard enough like we did today, I think we can win," Poston said.
Mt. Hebron's season is over, but the Vikings (9-6) have plenty to look forward in 2010. They lose only three to graduation -- setter Megan Frey and hitters Kerrie Uthoff and Tito Aderemi-Ibitola -- and return nine juniors, including Katie Huston, who had four kills and a point block in Game 4.
"It was probably the best game we've had all season. We played as hard as we could ... but I'm just mad it's over. Our seniors are going to be gone," Huston said. "(But) we have so many juniors on our team, so next year hopefully we'll be as strong as this year or stronger."
On the other side of the 3A East bracket, Atholton outlasted Howard in five games. Howard (8-7) swept Atholton twice during the regular season.
"My girls showed up (this time)," Atholton coach Dave Decker.
The Raiders were led by Jamie Frank and Samantha James. Allison Seeley and Lindsey Kostkowski paced the Lions.
Atholton (5-10) earned the right to travel to top-seeded and undefeated Centennial (15-0), the 14-time state champ, on Monday.
"I'm going to bring my sling and my rock," Decker joked.
Along with Centennial and River Hill, sixth-seeded Wilde Lake (4-10) was also given a first-round bye, and will visit third-seeded J.M. Bennett on Monday.
2A South
Oakland Mills (2-12) won its second match of the season, 25-9, 25-4, 25-11, in a 2A South opening-round match against visiting Central.
Gigi Grey had nine kills and two aces, Erin Walton had seven aces and three kills, and Caitlin Colvin (two kills, point block) and Ashley Rogers each had five aces for the Scorpions.
Glenelg (8-7) swept county rival Long Reach (1-14) in the opening round and will visit top-seeded Frederick Douglass in Monday's quarterfinal.
Hammond's (5-11) season ended in a three-game sweep at fifth-seeded Calvert. The Bears were down 16-8 in the third game, but showed some fight to end the season by tying the game at 16-16 before ultimately falling.
Marriotts Ridge (8-6) swept McDonough in the opening round, and will travel to second-seeded Gwynn Park for a quarterfinal match.
For more video from the Mt. Hebron-Reservoir match, visit youtube.com/user/ExploreHoward
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